But lawyer Paul Doroshenko says compensating the drivers is not going to be that simple.

"I don't know what you do. We are talking about people who have lost their jobs, huge embarrassment for people. People had to try and explain it to their families. It's humiliating," he says.

Apart from the issues with calibration and now compensation, Doroshenko says there is a bigger problem with the system.

His concern is the tough impaired driving laws that allow police to issue roadside suspensions that can cost drivers thousands of dollars in fines and fees — without setting foot inside a courtroom.

A review of the breathalyzer tests that led the Port Moody Police Department to issue immediate roadside prohibitions in 2011 found that about 8 per cent of the tests were invalid due to improper device calibration. (CBC)

"No roadside breath testing is ever reliable enough to be to justify punishment. It's a frightening scheme we have in B.C.," he said.

Doroshenko says the devices are just not accurate enough to replace more accurate testing methods like blood tests.

"It was intended to be used as a screener to assist police officers in forming an opinion as to whether they should take you back to the detachment."